The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-06-24
THE STORY OF AN AVALANCHE,
An Avenging Brother RetributIon After
Many Days.

Ah hiitT
Many Days.
You may have, at some time or other,
met man whom you wanted TO kick on
sight. Just the min tie you got sight OF
him you felt that you could never be
supremely happy again unless you could
bump his anatomy with your calf
skin.
There was Just such 4 man with US at
Chicago Junction, where five or six
passengers had to wait for two hours
for tie rain on the B. and o.. road.
1t was Il wretched room, cold wealth
er and the lire in the stove wouldn't
have warmed the legs OF Z flea.
This man whom We all wanted to kick
on sight had a feminine voice. He was
understood, conceited in speech and
looks, and ne played hog on the stove.
The man who is impatiently waiting
for a train at junction should never
whistle. He whistled-
4 half-froZcn and Observation-Disclosures
ed man should Lever sing. He ang.
Theref re the rest of US began TO hate
him. We hoped there was a mortgage on
his home. anu that the man who held IL
would IOreclose. We hoped he would
reach home TO find that his wife had
eIoped. We would have been happy 10
learn that all his children were down
with the measles.
Gentlemen" said the man, having
not the least suspicious of our feelings
toward him, " last year at this time
lust a year ago to-day-I was the victim
OF an adventure such as few PEOPLE have
ever encountered and lived to relate.
al waS in Silver Gulch, Colorado.
partner named Alf Simmons and myself
occupied a cabin about half wa. up a
long slope reached by a private trail. 1t
/ had been showing for ten days, and /
guess there were ten feet of it on the
slope above US. If we had not kept
clearing away around our cabin the
building would have been buried out OF
sight"
He paused here, but no questions were
asked, and lac ontinued
Just about noon a year ago to-day,
while We were eating dinner, there came
d trembling OF the ground, an awful
crash, and all avalanche stared at the
top of the mountain ard came sweeping
down upon Us.
Before YOU could count ten our cabin
was struck, smashed to kindlings, and
All and l We're being carried along by
the resistless terror. When We finally
stopped we were buried at the foot of
ledge under snow twenty feet deep.
Tbrourh some miraculous interposition
Of prnyidepca l escaped all injury, but
poor AIf had an arm broken
While our position was a bad one,
We did not give up all hope. ! crowded
the snow back until we had room to
move. and then discovered il might be
possible TO scale the Irregular cliffs and
make my way out. In case l succeeded
was to return and rescue my partner.
Well, after the most herculean
efforts pushed to the top OF the drift.
and before night 1 reached Parsons City
and spread the story.
II wanted a rope and three or four
men, and was very anxious to return at
Id
wait until next day.
Then when we arrived at the spot.
we saw that second avalanche had oc-
CURED, and that poor All must be buried
under at least fifty feet Of snow"
- And you didn't get him out<" asked
the man with q red necktie and fur on
his overcoat.
"And he Is under there yets"
u expect he is. The heap Of snow
didn't settle much last Summer"
Did you put up any sort OF grave
stOn@ for him around there?"
"No, sir"
Write any obituary notice for the
papers,"
mo"
Try to find any OF his relatives?"
"Nc; don't think he had anv."
81 do 1 think he hal Il brother
about my sizei / don't blame you so
much ab ut the avalanche, BIT II S cer-
tain you didn't use Alf on the sou. re"
The big man rose up and removed his
overcoat, and there was an expression
on his face which caused the little man
to inquire:
Say, what are you going TO do?"
"Avenge Alf!'
"Heavens but 1 didn't do anything
TO him -
" Did you put up gravestone7"
hE- hut
Didn't put up gravestone for your
deal partner, ehl Come out here -
Say, ii was maceup story There
was no Af-no avalanche-no accident
1 was iyiugT
Ion, no. you wasn't. I'm Alfs
brother. Prepare yourselfr
The little man appealed TO the crowd
but the big man took him by the collar.
drew him out on the platform, and gave
him lift which landed him up to his
neck in drift.
Then the kicker resumed his overcoat
and said:
Poor ALL But what Is our loss is
doubtless his gain 20
And for the next hour and half the
little man was hidden away in a freight
car on the side track, and the chatter of
his teeth seemed to beat time to the hum
OF the telegraph wires.-iN. Y. Sun.